Reviewed by James Karas
Primary Trust by Eboni Booth shows the life of Kenneth, a lonely,
awkward young man who tries to fit in normal society. Kenneth was raised in an orphanage
and looks like a nervous, indeed neurotic young man who stammers and uses his
hands incessantly when he speaks. His whole body shows his discomfort in social
situations and he spends much of his time after work at Wally’s Bar drinking mai
tais.
Keneth
does have a friend, Bert, who joins him for drinks and appears like a decent
and helpful companion. But there is a problem: Ber is an imaginary friend and
counsellor. When Kenneth is dismissed from his job in a second-hand bookstore because
the owner is closing it, he applies for work at Primary Trust. Bert accompanies
him to the bank and advises him on how to behave during the interview. Kenneth
gets the job.
Kenneth
interacts with Clay, the bank manager
who hires him at Primary Trust. Interestingly, Clay is unsure of himself and
acts almost like a clown but he does have faith in Kenneth who tuns out to be
an excellent worker.
Kenneth
is the main character and focus of the play and Durae MacFarlane gives an
outstanding performance. He is on stage for the entire performance and we see
him at his most pathetic, drinking alone at Wally’s, and trying to get a connection
with a human being aside from his imaginary friend.
Peter N. Bailey gives a superb performance as Bert, a decent and understanding companion for Kenneth with the problem of not being a human being. But he is what makes Kenneth’s life bearable and may be the means for Kenneh to find his way to self-assurance and normality. Bert and Kenneth tell us that Bert is imaginary but also a human being with a wife and children. He is real but only Kenneth can see him.
Kenneth
was raised in an orphanage and some foster homes after the death of his mother when
he was ten. He found his mother dead and dragged her body into a closet in the
kitchen and stayed with her for six days. A social worker also named Bert found
him in the closet and took him to a hospital. One shudders at the terror of the
experience. The real Bert left Kenneth but promised to come back. He never did
and Kenneth created his imaginary Bert who was the same as the real one.
At
eighteen he got a job in a bookstore owned by Sam. He worked there for twenty
years until Sam sold the bookstore. Ryan Hollyman plays Sam and the bank
manager Clay. As the bookstore owner, he treats Kenneth well, knows about his
imaginary friend and deals with Kenneth fairly.
Clay
is a very different character from Sam and as I said he appeared awkward and
unsure of himself to the point of being clownish. Is he like Kenneth but with a
good job? Hollyman acts superbly in both roles.
The
fifth character in the play is Corinna (Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah) who works at
Wally’s but befriends Kenneth. Like the other characters, she is a decent
person who tris to help him. Booth does not create a villain in her play. Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah plays an obnoxious
bank customer and it is the closest Booth comes to creating a bad apple. As the
obnoxious customer, she creates a huge argument with Kenneth which results in
his dismissal from his job.
I
will not reveal the whole plot.
The
set designed by Julie Fox is simple but effective. The sign for the
all-important Wally’s bar is shown on the right and a corner of seats is
wheeled on and off the stage for bar interiors. There is a desk and a sign for
Primary Trust and there is a musician on a keyboard at the back. Danilo Reyes
is the musician and fifth member of the cast.
Director
Cherissa Richards gives a nuanced direction to this subtle and lyrical play.
Primary Trust by Eboni Booth, a Crow’s Theatre and Grand Theatre co-production, will run until June 21, 2026, at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto, Ontario. http://crowstheatre.com/
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